Crave

The pages of Crave have seen many a strange clock recently. In fact, we may or may not have imposed a moratorium on writing about creative clocks, even the kind that wake you up with bacon. But this one, featured on Technabob, is really worth a mention because of its sheer convolutedness.

Basically, this Japanese clock, which doesn't even look like a clock, is modeled off that classic old astronomy gadget called the orrery. A number of little aluminum "planets" circle a central body, and you decipher the time by "reading" the position of the … Read more

If there's one trend we see defining the next generation of laptops--or at least the one after that--it's solid-state hard drives. After all, if you take the moving parts out of the most failure-prone part of the laptop, you'll get a more reliable machine, along with better battery life, and a cooler-running system.

Fujitsu is adding solid-state hard drives to some of its ultraportable laptops, starting March 19. Both the LifeBook P1610 and the LifeBook B6210 will be available with either 16GB or 32GB flash-based SSD hard drives. But before you jump on board the solid-state bandwagon, … Read more

I suppose it's unofficially Modernist Monday here at Crave. Yes, I know that's not quite as thrilling as Party Friday, but you have to admit it's still kind of cool to learn about household items that resemble abstract art. With the surrealist power strip earlier this morning and now this wacky air filter, you certainly could say that we're on a bizarre-appliance kick.

A few weeks ago we looked at an air filter that resembles an iPod wrapped in wallpaper (in a good way), and now here's another one to add to the mix of … Read more

We didn't know that there enough of these to create competition, but the "SolarShuttle" claims to be the "UK's largest and most advanced solar boat," according to Gizmag. Plying the waters of the "ecologically fragile" Serpentine Lake at Hyde Park in London, the boat reportedly runs silently and without pollution while ferrying up to 42 passengers. It even stores more than enough power to operate at night, sending surplus solar energy back to national utility plants. That's especially comforting because it means the boat won't get stranded while rented out … Read more

While so many other computer companies are trying to hide their CPUs, a handful of brave mavericks are actually trying to draw more attention to them. But that doesn't mean they're building the standard and deadly boring old gray boxes.

Directron, for example, is selling one that looks more like a rubber ball than a PC--hence its name, the "Ball PC System." Not much is offered in the way of specs, pricing or availability, but SCI FI Tech says the shiny sphere splits open, spaceship-style, to reveal a 40GB hard drive between its hemispheres.

That means … Read more

Crave has been remiss in our self-imposed obligation to issue public service announcements on a regular basis, and for that we sincerely apologize. So today we'll try to make up for our shortcomings by addressing the dreaded "BlackBerry Thumb" affliction.

New York spa Graceful Services is joining a trend started by major U.S. hotels and is offering a "BlackBerry Finger Massage," according to My: Tech News. We don't know of anyone personally who has undergone such treatment, but we wouldn't be surprised to hear that it was frequented by a certain celebrity … Read more

Are you one of those artsy-fatalist types who has a poster of Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory up on the wall? That's the "melting clock painting," also known as the backdrop of the 1938 cartoon short "Porky in Wackyland." (Yes, it's on YouTube.)

If so, we've found something perfect to further indulge your fantasies of things that appear to be melting into a puddle of surrealist goo. Called the "ElectriciTree," this stretchy power strip/extension cord is technically supposed to look like the branches of a tree to remind … Read more

Listen up, bargain-hunting audiophiles: There's been a major price reduction in a high-quality turntable from Japan's ELP. Its flagship product, the "Laser Turntable," is being marked down by more than 30 percent. How much is that, you say? Details, details. OK, the bargain-basement price is a mere $9,900 or $14,000, depending on which model you choose.

Before you close your browser, you should know that this turntable not only offers superior sound quality for records in good condition, but it also plays vinyl discs that have been badly worn down or even warped. "… Read more

We're not so paranoid that we need technologies that can tell who's spying on us, honest. All we want to do is conduct constant surveillance around our perimeter at all times, so we can dispatch the guard dogs as necessary. (Until we finish filling the moat, anyway.)

The problem, however, is that we're cheap--and surveillance equipment often isn't. But something like the "Mini-Air Watch4" system might just work. For a relatively reasonable $275, Gadgetizer says the system comes with four wireless color security cameras and a video receiver that can work from 100 to … Read more